


reading the signs

by thelotusflower



Series: slices of cryle [2]
Category: South Park
Genre: First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, cries in cryle, there is not enough fluff in the cryle tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28521837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelotusflower/pseuds/thelotusflower
Summary: Craig and Kyle go on their first date at the aquarium.
Relationships: Kyle Broflovski/Craig Tucker
Series: slices of cryle [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089332
Comments: 9
Kudos: 33





	reading the signs

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is kind of a ~~ follow up to “in a group setting” but also totally can be read as a stand alone :) ily bye

Craig was the one to suggest the aquarium and Kyle was definitely not going to say no to that, as he adored the aquarium. Whenever he went with his friends, they would always skim over each exhibit; never reading the information. Kyle would try to read the information, but usually his friends would walk away, and Kyle could only stay behind so much before he was subjectively _alone_ at the aquarium.

He’s only been there three times in his life, but all the times, he’d never gotten all the information he wanted to. He hoped Craig wouldn’t mind waiting around for him to read the information. He didn’t understand why his friends _didn’t_ want to read the information — it was _literally_ what they were paying for. Without reading the signs, they were missing out on the whole experience — they were wasting their money. When he pointed this out, Cartman called him a dirty jew, and they just ended up in another endless quarrel.

He was sick of coming here with his friends, nonetheless. Stan was okay. He would _try_ but he got bored and eventually he would go off with Kenny and Cartman. Kyle didn’t get it. Stan _liked_ animals, but maybe that was part of the problem — he always wanted to race to go see the tigers in the Denver aquarium — something that Kyle would never understand why they had.

He figured Craig was different than his friends though.

Kyle drove them as Craig did not have a car. Both bought their own tickets. They weren’t too expensive because they lived within the county but still higher than what a _dinner_ date would be. Though Kyle admired and liked that Craig chose something that was unusual. He felt like it showed he actually really wanted to be here. Craig was all about routines; could be perfectly content staying at home all weekend, while Kyle crazed a little more excitement.

He noticed that Craig seemed a little more timid than normal; a tiny bit more quieter and _nicer._ It was amusing and humbling on his own nerves. He felt as though that if he wasn’t so excited about the aquarium, he would be more nervous, but he was really happy to be here. He was also very happy to be here with _Craig,_ and he just felt oddly _content_ that after nearly _months_ of liking him, wondering if he liked him too, being fairly sure that he felt the same but not knowing what to _do_ about it — they were here together.

Craig let Kyle lead the way. The first exhibit was a large tank of fish. They stood there, looking up at it, the blue tint expanding across them. Craig stood close to him; the only person he would ever want in his personal space, as he normally balked at the feeling of someone breathing down his neck. With Craig though, he wished he stepped closer.

Kyle stood, examining the different species a moment before he turned his head to look over to Craig. But he wasn’t looking at the fish tank and was instead reading the sign. “Wow, it says some of these are over a hundred years old...” he murmured, eyes scanning the tank, and then Kyle.

Kyle probably looked dumb, smiling at the boy beside him for virtually no reason, other than reading a sign, but here he was. Craig thankfully smiled back. “What?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Kyle kept the smile on his face as he turned his attention back to the tank. He couldn’t restrain the grin as much as he tried. He kept his eyes on the tank a moment longer before he peered over at the sign, reading what Craig had already read.

He felt Craig watching him the whole time. He wondered if he was trying to figure out the smile that wouldn’t kick from his mouth; probably. He felt like Craig was always analyzing everything. He glanced to him, and said, “stop.”

“What?”

“You’re staring at me. I’m trying to read.”

“I didn’t realize you were so easily disabled.”

There the asshole was.

“Fuck off, and stare at the fish. That’s what we’re here for,” Kyle kept his focus on the sign.

There was a long pause. He could feel his gaze still on him. He looked up at him with a glare, however his cheeks were burning red.

“I came more for you, so...”

They gazed longer and Kyle literally thought his heart was going to explode as Craig looked at him with soft eyes and a small smile, the blue light shadowing over his features and making his hazel eyes look bluer than they actually were. His heart clenched. He wanted to kiss him. It would be easy, but they literally _just_ got here, and that seemed too forward. Probably.

But he maybe didn’t care.

He lunged forward and connected their lips together; his heart beating faster than he thought possible. It was electric; the feeling of the slightly taller boy’s lips against his. It wasn’t just his lips that felt it, but his entire body; his knees buckling and hands grabbing onto the boys waist to stabilize himself.

Craig parted his lips against his own, attaching his hands to his shoulders and bringing them downward. He tugged Craig closer by the waist, wanting him to invade his personal space; yearning for that distinct smell of his shampoo and deodorant; needing to soak in the warmth radiating of the other male’s body.

When they pulled away, he felt slightly dizzy as watched the other boy’s eyes flutter open. Once the hazel, almost currently _blue_ eyes, bored into him, a smile reached across his face. He noticed the slight blush over Craig’s cheeks, and the way he almost dug into his shoulders, as if wanting to keep him there, but he still felt the need to ask. “Was that too fast?” he asked. “Like — too soon, I mean...”

In response, Craig just smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips in return, and that was answer enough.

Before they went to the next exhibit, Craig linked their hands together. He let Kyle guide them, allowing him to spend as much time at every exhibit. Craig didn’t seem to mind either because he read every single sign as well; allowing them to converse about the marine life.

They ended up spending a majority of their day there. Craig bought them lunch in the cafeteria after a quick argument about it, and promised Kyle he could pay _next_ time which made his heart clench at the idea of _next_ time.

The prospect of next time made him giddy; made that when the date _ended_ and he kissed Craig goodbye, he felt a little less sad about it ending. Craig wanted a _next_ time, and Kyle could already not wait.

Maybe he would ask him to the planetarium. Craig did like astronomy.


End file.
